


Warmth

by Stonewoodgelfling



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Cottagecore, Cuddling, Domesticity, Established Relationship, F/M, Modern AU, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26405662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stonewoodgelfling/pseuds/Stonewoodgelfling
Summary: In another world, another time, Jen and Kira spend an evening together in their cottage. Modern AU fic.
Relationships: Jen/Kira (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Warmth

The fog from that morning had finally lifted, and the clouds had parted for the first glimpse of sunlight. Kira took advantage of the turn in weather, laying out in the field sketching flowers, collecting the wild herbs that grew along the Forrest.

Her notebook sat open in her lap as she sketched one of the carnations that had just blossomed. It was a beautiful, vibrant red that made Kira sincerely regret not packing her acrylic paints before she left the house. For now she would have to be satisfied with just a sketch of it, and hoped she remembered the colour when she got home.

A cool breeze blew from the south, and Kira wrapped her coat tightly around herself. It was becoming cold again, and she began to pack her things up to leave.

Putting her notebook away, Kira spotted a flower near the rosemary, one she had never seen before. It was a deep blue, with light brown in the centre. It reminded her a little of Jen’s eyes. She leaned over and snipped it from its stem. She would bring it home to him, as a gift.

Kira felt something brush up against her leg and looked down to see her cat Fizzgig playing with her shoelaces.

She knelt down beside him and held the flower out for him to sniff.

“Do you like it?” She asked. “It’s for Jen”

Fizzgig hesitantly took a sniff, and then opened his mouth to eat it.

Kira quickly pulled away. “Fizzgig!” She chastised him.

She put the flower in her basket with the herbs and closed the lid.

Fizzgig meowed loudly at her, wanting attention. She reached down to run her fingers through his matted brown fur, pulling out some of the leaves that had become caught.

“You need a bath” she said, and Kira could’ve sworn she heard him growl at her in response.

She looked up at the sun, it was setting now, and if she didn’t leave soon she would be stuck in the field at dark. She got to her feet.

“Come on” she told Fizzgig. “We’re going home”

She gestured for him to follow her, but he remained firmly in place. Digging his little paws in the dirt, he looked to her expectantly.

She sighed. “I’m not carrying you”

Fizzgig remained unmoved, he looked up at her and began to meow loudly, piercing her ears with his loud wailing.

“Oh, alright” she said, scooping him up in one hand. “Come here you lazy furball”

She lifted him up from the ground, keeping him curled close to her, Fizzgig nuzzled himself comfortably under her arm, and Kira hoped she could make it home in time with him slowing her down.

Together they traipsed through the field, wading their way through a sea of bright flowers, the tall grass blowing in the wind around them. The cold had begun to set in now, and Kira held Fizzgig’s mass of fur closer to her for warmth.

They reached the edge of the woods, Kira followed the winding dirt path through the trees that lead home.

With the sun almost gone, the Forrest had become cold and eerie, it’s endless rows of trees fading into darkness. Under the pressure of the harsh wind the branches swayed and cracked above them.

Fizzgig looked up and whined, then quickly ducked his head back under Kira’s arm.

“Don’t be silly, Fizzgig” she told him. “It’s just the trees”

As they came out of the thicket of the woods, they reached a small creek. It had become flooded since she last crossed, cold water coursing rapidly through its black rocks. Kira stepped over the moss covered stones to get across, careful not to fall in. She had no doubt the current would take her if she did.

Fizzgig dug his claws tight into her coat, terrified of the water flowing below them.

“Almost there” she told him, leaping across to the grass bed on the other side.

She made it to their little home just as the sun had disappeared on the horizon. With the last rays of light shining down she spotted it; Their small wooden cabin, with its stained glass windows and vines snaking around it, smoke rising from its brick chimney.

Kira could smell something cooking from outside, Jen must have started dinner already.

Fizzgig leaped out of her arms and went bounding towards his cat door, following the smell of the food.

Kira unlocked the door and stepped inside, she removed her boots and put them on the welcome mat, and then turned to hang up her coat on the hook behind the door.

The house was warmer than usual, the fireplace in the lounge room was alit, its gentle heat seeping into the wooden floorboards. She stood for a moment, letting her body soak in the warmth.

She moved a little closer to the fireplace, putting the basket down beside her as she kneeled in front of it. She held her hands up to the open flame, her fingertips began to tingle as the cold slowly ebbed away. She closed her eyes and sighed in contentment, basking in the warm glow of the flames.

The aroma of freshly baked bread wafted into the lounge room, and Kira’s stomach growled. She got to her feet, and followed the smell to the kitchen where Jen was.

It was an old kitchen, narrow and covered in blue ceramic tiles that had started to fade with age. Wooden cabinets lined the top of the walls, curving half way around the small room. Above the gas stove hung pots and pans, alongside various spatulas. Shoved into the end corner was a fridge, and beside it a small sink and drying rack.

In the middle of the room stood Jen, leaning over a pot on the stove, seemingly unaware of her presence as he continued to stir. He had tucked his dark hair behind his ears, and rolled the sleeves of his red sweater up to his elbows, his brow furrowed in concentration as he added a another pinch of salt to the pot.

There wasn’t much room left in the kitchen, but Kira managed to shuffle behind Jen to wrap her arms around his waist.

Jen jolted a little in surprise. “You’re home”

“Mhm” she said, resting her head against him. “It’s warm in here”

“I thought I’d get the fireplace going early” he told her. “Your hands were so cold this morning”

Kira recalled early that morning, how it had been so cold even the eight blankets she’d put on the bed couldn’t warm her. A large fog had settled around their home, covering the fields outside, and freezing over the glass windows. Fizzgig had moved from his own bed to keep Kira warm, and she had used every heat pack they had in the house. It took a lot of persuasion on Jen’s part to get her out of bed that morning.

Jen never had that problem. It seemed unfair that he was naturally warmer than her, they were practically the same build after all, he only had a couple of inches of height on her.

She reached up to touch Jen’s face with her hands now. “Still cold?” She asked.

Jen yanked away. “Yes!”

Kira laughed and moved her hands back down, gripping on to Jen’s sweater instead.

“Keep them warm for me?” She asked.

“I’m cooking” he told her. “But I’ll run you a bath after this”

“Or” she said, pulling his hands away from the stove. “You can keep them warm now?”

Jen turned around to face her, eyes meeting her own, blue just like the flower she had found.

He did his best to seem annoyed with her, but the affection in his gaze betrayed him. He sighed, and leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers.

Kira noticed a bit of flour on his cheek and brushed it away, she kept her hand there, cupping his face.

Jen leaned down and gave her a short but affectionate kiss.

“How was your walk?” He asked.

“I got something for you” she said, remembering the flower. She went to the lounge room where she had left the basket and pulled it out.

She held it up to Jen. “See? It matches your eyes”

Kira took the flower and put behind his ear.

Jen blushed a little. “Thanks”

Kira leaned up to kiss him again, this time a little deeper, Jen kissed back but when she reached up to wrap her arms around him he pulled away.

“Go sit with fizzgig” he told her. “Dinner will be ready soon”

She sighed. “Fine”

Kira went to sit beside the fire, where Fizzgig was curled up munching away on a piece of fish. When he saw Kira, he got up and sat in her lap, purring and nuzzling her hand. She scratched him under the chin, which she knew he liked. Fizzgig purred loudly and laid his head down.

“Have you been nice to Jen?” She asked.

Fizzgig gave a loud meow, which Kira took as a no.

Fizzgig had only slowly taken a liking to Jen in the past few months, but there were times when Kira swore the cat was trying to kill him. More than once Fizzgig had been found sleeping on top of Jen’s head in the morning, which Kira was worried was not a sign of affection but rather an attempt to suffocate him.

In fizzgig’s mind his only human was Kira, and Jen was getting in the way.

Still, he had come to be less hostile to Jen over time, mostly because Jen fed him.

“You know, you really ought to be nicer to him” she told Fizzgig. “He spoils you more than I do”

Jen came in carrying dinner. “Even if he could understand you I don’t think he’d listen”

He placed two bowls of soup on the table, and a piece of freshly baked bread in the middle.

Kira got up to sit beside him at the table. “It’s worth trying”

She broke off a piece of bread and dipped it in her soup.

“Maybe if you talked to him more often he’d like you more” she suggested, taking a bite.

“I don’t think a lack of communication is our problem” said Jen. “I think he’s the problem”

Jen cast a disdainful look in the cat’s direction. Fizzgig, who was happily cleaning himself on the couch, stuck his tongue back in his mouth and returned’s Jen’s glare.

“Your both responsible” said Kira, overcome with a sudden need to defend Fizzgig.

Jen looked appalled. “What did I do?”

“Well, for starters you never let him kill mice” she said.

“I think it’s cruel” He argued. “He always has to play with them first, it’s torture”

“And you never let him in the kitchen” she added.

“Because last time he tried to hop into the pot!”

“What else?” She thought for a while. “Oh, what about when you kicked him off the bed?”

“An accident!”

Kira laughed. “Alright, okay. I guess you’re not so bad”

Jen relaxed a little, leaning back down into his seat.

“Thank you”

She finished off her soup, and shared the last of the bread with Jen.

When they were done, he stood up to take the dishes.

Kira got up and wrapped her arms around him. “So now that dinner’s finished-“

“Hey, hey-“ said Jen, escaping from her. “Dishes first”

She groaned. “I’m starting to see why Fizzgig dislikes you so much”

Fizzgig meowed loudly from the couch, almost as if he was agreeing.

“See?” She said. “He does understand”

Jen ignored her and carried the dishes back to the kitchen. It was a narrow space, but Kira slid in next to him at the sink.

“I’ll wash, you dry?” She offered.

He nodded in agreement and they got to work, moving in tandem together.

When they were finally done, it was Jen who reached for Kira this time, wrapping his arms around her waist. Kira leaned into his touch and they began to sway a little. He lifted his head up and kissed her forehead gently.

“I should run you that bath now” he said. “If you want”

What Kira really wanted was to stay here a little longer in his arms, but she could feel a cold draft blowing through the house now, and she knew a warm bath would do her good.

“We’ll cuddle after?” She asked.

Jen nodded. Kira slowly removed herself from his embrace. “Okay”

Jen left to start the bath, while Kira went to grab her towel and pyjamas from the clothing line in the corner. She started to remove some clothes, until she was down to only one layer, and put the rest in their room on a pile on her side.

Looking around their bedroom you could tell who was the messiest of the two. Kira’s side was scattered with plants and clothes strewn about, cups left on her bedside. While on Jen’s side the floor was completely clear, and there was a large meticulously organised book shelf near his side of the bed. The only evidence of life was a book left open on his bedside table.

Kira heard the sound of the taps being turned off, and made her way to the bathroom where Jen was waiting.

She hung her towel up on the rack, and placed her folded pyjamas on top of the cabinet.

She started removing her last layer of clothes, and Jen politely looked away.

“It’s okay, Jen” she told him. “We’re married”

“Oh, right” he murmured, still a little embarrassed.

She removed the last of her clothing and stepped inside the bathtub. As she lowered herself into the warm water, she felt the coldness in her body seep away. She put her hair up so it wouldn’t get wet, and relaxed back into the tub, resting her head on the edge.

“The bubbles are covering me now” she told Jen. “You can look me in the eyes”

Jen let his gaze wander back to her, but there was a redness in his cheeks still.

“Are you warm?” He asked, kneeling down beside her at the bath.

“Very”

Jen smiled. “That’s good”

“My hands aren’t cold anymore” she told him, lifting them out of the water to cup his face. “See?”

She thought he’d pull away like before, but it seemed her prank had backfired. Jen was not bothered by the water, and instead put his hand over hers, holding it to his face.

“Oh” she said.

“Is this alright?” He asked.

She nodded wordlessly. Somehow Jen was even warmer than the water in the tub.

She caressed his face, tracing a small scar on his cheek with her index finger, a souvenir from when he had last tried to bathe Fizzgig.

Jen leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and resting his head against the edge of the bathtub.

“Are you cold?” She asked.

He nodded. “A little”

“It’s a shame the tub won’t fit us both” said Kira. “It’s nice in here”

“Don’t worry about it” he said.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Mhm”

Kira sighed and laid her head back against the edge of the tub. She studied the tiles lining the bathroom wall, counting each turquoise glazed square until she could feel the water in the tub start to turn cold.

“Hey, Jen?” She asked.

He looked up. “Yeah?”

“It’s getting cold” she told him. “I want to hop out”

He grabbed her towel off the rack, and held it open for her, head turned away.

She stepped out and pulled the towel around her. “Thanks”

Jen nodded, his head still twisted away, pretending to be fascinated by the tiles lining the wall.

Making sure her towel was firmly held up, Kira reached up with both her hands and titled his face back towards her. He looked down at her, returning her gaze, lips parted.

She leaned up a kissed him, a short, brief kiss, but passionate enough to leave Jen stunned.

He stood there for a moment, blinking.

“You should go to bed” she told him. “I’ll come in when I’m finished in here”

Jen nodded dumbly, and after a brief moment, shuffled out of the bathroom, casting one last look at Kira before closing the door behind him.

She smiled to herself as she got changed, putting on the warmest pyjamas she had and brushing out her hair.

When she was done, she snuck quietly into their room, trying to navigate her way in the dark.

In the corner, Fizzgig was already fast asleep on top of her clothes pile, snoring loudly.

Kira crawled into bed beside Jen, wrapping her arms around his waist. He placed his hands over hers, gently tracing circles on the back of her palm.

“Your hands are cold again” he murmured.

Kira shifted a little closer to him. “Warm them up for me?”

For once, Jen obliged. Turning himself around to face her, he pulled her into his embrace, their bodies flush against each other. He leaned in and kissed her, slow and deep, no holding back. Kira closed her eyes and sighed in contentment, soaking in the warmth.


End file.
